Beloved in Christ,
The Gospel reading this Sunday, from John 14:15-21, picks up a few verses from where we left off last week. Jesus spoke clearly of his enduring presence to his followers, both while he is with them and after he ascends to heaven, where he prepares a place for them so that where he is, they may always be.But meanwhile, as they live their day-to-day life, he promises to be present with them through the Holy Spirit, whom he will ask the Father to send to those who love and keep his commandment: ”And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16).
The promise of the Holy Spirit to sincere believers and lovers of Jesus is the key to a living faith and church growth. When a Christian surrenders his or her heart completely to Jesus in an act of love through sincere confession of sin and commitment to the teachings of the Gospel, Jesus will send his Spirit upon them. As a result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, a Christian shares in the intimate life of the Father and the Son because the Holy Spirit is the love that unites them. The Holy Spirit is sent upon the Church as a corporate or universal body as well as on the individual for their sanctification and empowerment to witness boldly and fruitfully to the gospel of Christ. This is the case with early Christians and the Church. They received the Paraclete, their Advocate before God. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit and his gifts, those who love and follow Christ will do greater things than Jesus by proclaiming his gospel beyond Israel and into the Gentile world.
The witness of the early Christians in our first reading illustrates the promise Jesus made. Through Philip’s proclamation of Christ, the Samaritans accepted the word of God, and Peter and John prayed for them by laying hands, and they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 5: 17). By this event, we witness the power of the Holy Spirit in breaking new grounds, doing new things, doing the unimaginable- bringing about conversion to faith in Christ of the Samaritans, people known to be hostile to Jews and vice versa. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, we can do new and incredible things for Christ and his church. When, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we make Jesus the Lord of our hearts, we are prepared to offer explanations to those who ask for the reason for the living hope they observe in us (1 Peter 3: 15). What shall we do? ( Acts 2:37). We must now seek to grow in our love for Jesus and pray with faith and devotion to him to send forth his spirit anew upon us, like on the day of Pentecost. Love and pray more; that is what we should do in response to this Sunday’s message.
We continue with the May devotion. Stay close to our Mother Mary, and pray the rosary daily. We must also keep in mind the upcoming great feast of the Ascension of our Lord; it is a good time to prepare for the Pentecost Novena.
To our ever-beloved mothers, I wish Happy Mother's Day!
In Jesus and Mary,
Fr. Alayode, OP
The Gospel reading this Sunday, from John 14:15-21, picks up a few verses from where we left off last week. Jesus spoke clearly of his enduring presence to his followers, both while he is with them and after he ascends to heaven, where he prepares a place for them so that where he is, they may always be.But meanwhile, as they live their day-to-day life, he promises to be present with them through the Holy Spirit, whom he will ask the Father to send to those who love and keep his commandment: ”And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16).
The promise of the Holy Spirit to sincere believers and lovers of Jesus is the key to a living faith and church growth. When a Christian surrenders his or her heart completely to Jesus in an act of love through sincere confession of sin and commitment to the teachings of the Gospel, Jesus will send his Spirit upon them. As a result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, a Christian shares in the intimate life of the Father and the Son because the Holy Spirit is the love that unites them. The Holy Spirit is sent upon the Church as a corporate or universal body as well as on the individual for their sanctification and empowerment to witness boldly and fruitfully to the gospel of Christ. This is the case with early Christians and the Church. They received the Paraclete, their Advocate before God. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit and his gifts, those who love and follow Christ will do greater things than Jesus by proclaiming his gospel beyond Israel and into the Gentile world.
The witness of the early Christians in our first reading illustrates the promise Jesus made. Through Philip’s proclamation of Christ, the Samaritans accepted the word of God, and Peter and John prayed for them by laying hands, and they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 5: 17). By this event, we witness the power of the Holy Spirit in breaking new grounds, doing new things, doing the unimaginable- bringing about conversion to faith in Christ of the Samaritans, people known to be hostile to Jews and vice versa. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, we can do new and incredible things for Christ and his church. When, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we make Jesus the Lord of our hearts, we are prepared to offer explanations to those who ask for the reason for the living hope they observe in us (1 Peter 3: 15). What shall we do? ( Acts 2:37). We must now seek to grow in our love for Jesus and pray with faith and devotion to him to send forth his spirit anew upon us, like on the day of Pentecost. Love and pray more; that is what we should do in response to this Sunday’s message.
We continue with the May devotion. Stay close to our Mother Mary, and pray the rosary daily. We must also keep in mind the upcoming great feast of the Ascension of our Lord; it is a good time to prepare for the Pentecost Novena.
To our ever-beloved mothers, I wish Happy Mother's Day!
In Jesus and Mary,
Fr. Alayode, OP
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